Page 10 - AHATA

A14 LOCAL
Tuesday 3 sepTember 2019

Habitat destruction: The Aruban Borrowing Owl Episode XXXIII

Eco-cide: Is the process of destroying the natural way of life in
such a manner that it becomes completely incapable of supporting its
native species, turning the land in to something worse than a desert. In
an unregulated or unsupervised process of progress, lives that previously
used a specific part of the land as their habitat have become victims,
exposed to being displaced or destroyed; condemning our native and
unique species to extinction is not an option. Addressing government of-
ficials, as well as parliamentary representatives of the imminent actions
necessary that should be considered against habitat destruction and that
nature is to be taken in consideration as condition number one no mat-
ter what the plan is. The purpose of developing our tourist industry, has
reached its sustainable capability. Reconsidering depleting our natural
resources for economic and urbanization purposes. Clearing habitats for
hotels, housing, commercial and infrastructure facilities is the principal
cause of habitat destruction. Adding to this, the harming effects UTV`s
causes when off- roads up and down like extras of a Mad Max seen, fol-
lowed by sand and lime stone mining activities, illegal trashing, dumping
and urbanization.

Habitat destruction is currently ranked on Aruba is unprecedented if we see
as the primary cause of species disap- how much ecocide has been taken
pearance all over the planet. Imagine place lately versus the last 30 years.
on a tiny island like ours, confronting a Encouraged by generous incentives
constant process of natural environ- whose only goal is exploiting the prop-
mental change that is mainly caused erty to the max. Human, as well as is-
by habitat fragmentation, geological land resources were to be shared with
processes as erosion, climate change visitors. The islands way of life, is where
or by human activities, such as the all its value rests upon and all we have
introduction of invasive species, es- to offer besides our genuine Aruban
pecially cats and snakes as the boa friendship our mystic landscapes and
constrictor, insects, lizards and am- ecosystem. We must realize that de-
phibians of adjacent ecosystems that valuation and “eco-degradation”
easily can alter the balance of nature. occurs with every tree we cut, every
At this rate of development our: 1.Bur- building we erect, every emigrant we
rowing owl and the 2. Aruban rattle- import, with every habitat we destroy 3.The extinct Blauduif 4: Lora or Cota
snake: Crotalus durissus unicolor are we kill many species. We should guard
close to many of being the next spe- our patrimony. We must keep the is-
cies that runs the same fate as of the land life, otherwise we will be dealing
3. Blauduif, or Red-necked: Columba with a nation severely affected by so-
squamosa and 4. Lora or Cota, the cial problems which demands large
Yellow-Shouldered Amazon: Amazo- public funding to address and resolve
na barbadensis, not to mention these many new issues we today can pre-
two birds have completely disap- vent. Social education and Cultural
peared off the island due to human preservation is imminent.
activities in to their habitat. When we talk about owls many of you
The illusion that we must grow eco- would think of a large bird, swooping
nomically by taking over nature will down at night on prey, hooting loud-
soon collect its toll, if we do not act ly from a tree, like you have seen on
and take our fragile ecosystem in cartoons on movies. However our bur-
consideration. What is going on now rowing owl_ the only species of owls

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and explore and take your experience home with you. Our found on Aruba_ hardly fits the known as Shoco, in Papiamen-
renowned indigenous and educative session has been entertaining mold. This small, spindly-legged to, which most probably derives
curious participants for decades. Mail us at etnianativa03@gmail. owl lives on the ground, is seen from the Caquetian “ Xeque”,
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place close to your hotels area.
makes soft cackling sounds cies of the burrowing owl family.
Aruba`s Borrowing Owl: 1
(Athene cunicularia arubensis), Continued on Page 15